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Bluetooth Spam In Public Spaces
mrwireless writes with a bellwether from The Netherlands of a problem that is bound to spread. Judging by the CAN SPAM Act, the US would be even less likely than the EU to classify Bluetooth-borne commercial spam as spam. "The Dutch OPTA, a national telecommunications watchdog, has decided not to label commercial Bluetooth messages as spam (in Dutch, but Babelfish works). These messages seem to fall through a loophole in European laws against spam since they do not travel through an 'intermediary network.' The issue was raised last week when a Dutch broadcasting agency outfitted a number of bus stops so they would send a promotional video of an upcoming show to passersby. Although the messages first asked if people wanted to watch the video, the article quotes a lawyer who believes that this does not qualify as 'opt-in' advertising. As more and more people leave Bluetooth turned on to make use of their Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth close-range messaging, such as through bluejacking, is increasingly being exploited for commercial purposes."
As more and more people leave Bluetooth turned on to make use of their Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth close-range messaging, such as through bluejacking, is increasingly being exploited for commercial purposes.
I only engage in bluejacking if I get pr0n spam. and certainly not in public.
Push Button, Receive Bacon
Basically you can bluetooth chat with someone in a public place (like a train), then arrange for sex when you reach your destination, or in the train en route. And maybe they're even hot...
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
Yeah, we all know how effective CAN SPAM has been. My mailbox receives only 1000+ more spam emails a week now then before.
These messages seem to fall through a loophole in European laws against spam since they do not travel through an 'intermediary network.'
:)
Well, the reason for anti-SPAM legislation being written that way is that SPAM passes over an anonymous intermediary network. If you know who sent it, and can identify the sender, you can thus take legal action against them directly, so it probably should be handled in a different way. If it becomes a big enough problem, something will be done about it.
My 2 cents.
This is bound to be counterproductive: how do you think people will react when they get one, two, three, dozens of unwanted messages? just look at how they react when they get unwanted phone calls...
I for one never buy anything from any company that practices obnoxious in-your-face advertisement, unless I have absolutely have no choice. Advertisement is bad enough, but I just can't stand when they try to shove it down my throat. I'm sure I'm not alone.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
...a jam-packed train in Öresund, Sweden. A middle-aged man in a suit is sitting down, reading business documents. But occasionally, beeps come from his cellphone. He is visibly more annoyed for each time, and looks around him.
Finally, he's had enough, and gets up and yells...
"WHO THE HELL KEEPS BLUETOOTHING ME GAY PORN ALL THE TIME?!"
toresbe
It would be beneficial if people started getting random spammings.
Hopefully it will reach the mainstream press and people would get taught how to disable the promiscuous phone settings.
I just recently picked up a bluetooth adapter for this computer and I am getting quite good at recognising people who arrive at the house (before they even knock on the door!).
Your Bluetooth personal area network should not operate like RFID, at the moment, businesses can see who comes and goes.
liqbase
This sounds like a wonderful idea. Either it's automated, or there's a person doing it, and in both cases, bluetooth is short-range. If it's a little automated box, take a hammer to it.
And if it's a person doing it, dude, I've still got the hammer.
I expect this to be a short-lived phenomenon.
I've got to wonder... is there ANY wireless technology that's worth a damn? Cell phones are finally, after several decades, starting to work well, but even those have massive security holes. (My parents had their personal info stolen on a trip to NYC a year ago via their cell phone, and the cell phone company told them that it's very common, and that there's nothing my parents could have done to prevent it).
I'm not so sure, due to the very nature of data floating around where anybody can grab it, that we'll see any kind of secure wireless connection any time in the near future.
And then there's reliability. Cell phones are probably the most reliable type of wireless connection out there, but even those still aren't great.
(Only a fool would rely on 802.11x for anything even remotely critical.)
Wireless. Blech. Nice idea, but not so hot in practice.
I don't respond to AC's.
0a) rename your BT identity to something not recognizeable
0b) download grossout.jpg, rename to "ctu.mp3"
1) detect someone who might have a BT phone, in a crowded place.
2) send "ctu.mp3". Many people will accept this unconditionally, even if manually
3) enjoy the recipent's face.
Thank God Verizon cares so much about their customers that they have so crippled bluetooth on their phones that the only thing possible with them is headsets and dial-up networking -- maybe.
if you really want to push the reliable button, amateur radio is about the only form of communication you can rely on when the chips are down. (hurricanes are a great example) Cell reception is spotty in many places and the loss of a single tower could easily disable several square miles of service.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
There is a solution to the problem that will owrk most of the time. If you already have your phone and headset paired, then just turn off your phone's and headset's Bluetooth visibility setting. When this is turned on, basically, the device is broadcasting its ID so that you can pair or send stuff to that device. You only need this turned on when you are pairing devices or trying to send data to/from devices that don't know each other (for example, sending contact information or pictures).
From http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/docs/HOWTO/Advoca cy
"The Dutch OPTA, a national telecommunications watchdog, has decided not to label commercial Bluetooth messages as spam"
The OPTA hasn't formally decided anything. In TFA an OPTA spokesperson (when asked by a reporter) claims that bluetooth spam is probably not covered by current Dutch legislation, but it DOES "go against the spirit of the law". The OPTA so far hasn't investigated matters further, because it (apparentely) needs a formal complaint to be able to do so, and no one has filed one yet.
Technically, these options exist - as "Off," "On but hidden," and "On and visible to all."
The Bluetooth devices I've seen come with BT on and visible, but the access to the setting is somewhat complicated (my cellphone has at least "BT on/off" in the quick menu).
Note that the "On but hidden" state is far from foolproof - it just stops the device from broadcasting its presence (which has (so far) been enough for me in most cases - security by obscurity?).
Why are you leaving bluetooth open? Close it to only allow connections with trusted devices, like your headset and your computer. Common sense.
Opinions expressed above are mine, and not my employees'.